It is not uncommon to develop a cataract after retinal surgery. I've had detached retinas in both eyes, first in my right eye in 2000 and 2nd (and 3rd) in my left eye in 2019 and 2020. I have none of the risk factors besides age, which typically are myopia and diabetes. For the 2000 event, my eventual cataract was pronounced and I delayed the lens replacement surgery for years becuase my left eye was 20-20 and I was squeamish about it. My doctor did not mention this was a possibility but the calculus is easy: you can replace your lens, but you can't replace your retina.

I was driving back from hunting and bored I closed my good eye and discovered I probably could not drive with my bad eye if I got poked with a stick or something in the good eye so had the surgery, and wish I had done it sooner. If there is nothing else going on with your eye, you get 20-20 vision back (I did) and you choose either near or far vision for your new lens. There are multifocal lenses out there but I would never get one. Unfortunately in my left eye, I developed a retinal vein occlusion (a stroke in your eye). Your body says, blocked vessel? No problem I'll make more, but they leak and distort and swell the macula. I had no real symptoms early on, an optomotrist saw some microbleeders when he imaged my retina. Treatment is the same as if you had AMD (age related macular degeneration) but it's because the symptoms are similar so you get injections in the eye periodically that inhibit blood vessel growth. At about $8K a shot. I've switched to a time release form of a corticosteroid. It's cheaper, only $6K a shot but is working better than the other drugs. Insurance covers it. I see an excellant retinal specialist at the Casey Eye Institute in Portland, OR, and I'm happy to drive the 200 miles each way to get there for the level of expertise there.

So, make sure you don't have a cataract forming and if you do, have the lens replaced. There is no up side to putting it off. After the second detachment in my left eye, I had it done right away to nip it in the bud.

Bruce